Friends of Drug Court Reclaiming Lives

8/2/2013

It is hard to believe the robust person sitting across from me was once a meth addict who weighed 135 pounds. Rudy Hyatt, the Chair of the Friends of Drug Court, is aware of how fortunate he is. “I volunteer for Friends of Drug Court because I did a lot of bad things when I was an addict. NA (Narcotics Anonymous) teaches us to make amends for things we have done. This is just one of the ways I do that – by giving back to the community.”

Growing up in Willits, Rudy “fell in love with a lady called methamphetamine” when he was a teenager. “It was really fun in the beginning,” he told me. “I started selling meth, and soon became my best customer.” The addiction lasted 23 years and landed Rudy in jail repeatedly. What finally changed? “I was tired of being in jail, tired of sticking a needle in my arm. I wanted to quit, but I didn’t know how.”

Faced with a possible 3 – 5 year sentence in the State penitentiary, Rudy appealed to Judge Combest to participate in Drug Court, an 18 month program. Initially, participants go to court weekly, to treatment daily, and to group sessions of NA or AA twice a day. Random drug testing occurs throughout the program.

Rudy is grateful to the judge who helped him regain his life. “When Judge Combest granted my request for Drug Court, he bet me $20 I wouldn’t make it. I told him to “put his money where his mouth is” and make it $50. When I graduated from Drug Court, he handed me a fifty dollar bill.”

According to Patricia “Paddy” Michalski, Drug Court administrator, Drug Court works with people with various addictions. “Prescription drug abuse and heroin use are on the rise. Alcohol is the main addiction for some, and is also number 2 or 3 in preferred substances for others.”

Paddy notes that 49% Adult Drug Court and 63% of the Family Dependency Court (FDDC) have graduated the program. The results are particularly meaningful for families – 56% of the children of FDDC participants are 5 years of age or younger, and statistics show they have spent less than half of the number of days in foster care as the children of non-drug court participants. But graduation is only the beginning. Rudy says, “At graduation, I always remind people that this isn’t the end. They need to keep going to 12-step meetings. It’s like walking up a downward escalator – when you stop, you go down.”

Dianne Marshall, former Drug Court Administrator, started the Friends of Drug Court Fund at the Community Foundation to provide encouragement to program participants. “When I went through the program there was no help,” Rudy told me. “Thanks to Dianne and other donors, Friends of Drug Court helps get people back on their feet.” Rudy says his favorite the small grants are the “ones that help people who are getting their children back. We pay for baby clothes, strollers and other such items. It means a lot because it shows that families are coming back together.”

Dianne Marshall has a passion for helping people reclaim their lives. The Friends of Drug Court fund she established at the Community Foundation allowed her translate that passion into action. If you want to support the Friends of Drug Court Fund, visit www.communityfound.org.